Birdbooker Report 83-84

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"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid

The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.

New and Recent Titles:

  1. Blackburn, Tim M., Julie L. Lockwood and Phillip Cassey. Avian Invasions: The Ecology and Evolution of Exotic Birds. 2009. Oxford University Press. Paperback: 305 pages. Price: $55.00 U.S. [Amazon: $50.74]. SUMMARY: This book covers the history of exotic bird introductions, the contributions of exotic bird study to basic ecology, and post-establishment genetics and evolution of introduced bird populations. The result is the most comprehensive picture yet of the invasion process. This technical volume is aimed at professional biologists and graduate students. GrrlScientist comment: Wow, this book looks fascinating. I have always been strongly interested in conservation issues as well as in exotic birds, especially when they are flying around outside my windows. This book is a must-read and review for me, and an essential addition to my personal library!
  2. Goodall, Jane (with Thane Maynard and Gail Hudson). Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued From The Brink. 2009. Grand Central Publishing. Hardbound: 416 pages. Price: $27.99 U.S. [Amazon: $18.47]. SUMMARY: Goodall and company examine various animal species that are making their way back from the brink of extinction. Species included range from the American Burying Beetle to the Pygmy Hog of India (although the authors focus mainly on mammals and birds). Anyone interested in endangered species will like this book. GrrlScientist comment: As a scientist who studies and keeps parrots, I have a keen professional and personal interest in preserving endangered species since many parrots are endangered. Already, I've read quite a few interesting stories about the clever ways that some animals have been brought back from the brink, and would love to read more. So this is another book that I must read and review for my blog, and an essential addition to my personal library!

You can read all the Birdbooker Reports in the archives on this site, and Ian now has his own website, The Birdbooker's Bookcase, where you can read his synopses about newly published science, nature and animal books. But Ian assures me that he still loves us here, so he'll still share his weekly Birdbooker Reports with us!

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